


So Golden

by callaina



Series: So Golden Verse [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Umino Iruka, Canon-Typical Violence, Discord: Umino Hours, Explicit Sexual Content, Flirting, Hatake Kakashi Has Issues, Hitman Hatake Kakashi, M/M, Mafia AU, Mobster Umino Iruka, Umino Iruka Has Issues, Undercover, and then there's also the Dior dress, because they're criminals, there is a heist, there is murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:08:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26111662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callaina/pseuds/callaina
Summary: The bartender brings them another round. Iruka is grinning as he moves a strand of his loose hair behind his ear. They drink. The low lights in the bar catch in the bottles that are lined up behind the counter, and they reflect as minor stars in Iruka’s eyes.“Sweet talk is not going to get me between your sheets, Kakashi.”
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Series: So Golden Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978456
Comments: 17
Kudos: 222
Collections: Umino Undercover





	So Golden

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anniemaar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anniemaar/gifts).



Shimura Danzou is a frail, old man who uses a cane to support his body’s weight. The cane is carved from wood, not by himself since he could not use his right arm anymore, and isn’t swift enough with his left hand. A scar obtained in his younger years shapes his chin into an ugly display. The only evidence that Danzou has ever been a boy is his jet-black hair that refuses to turn gray.

Shimura Danzou’s residence sits at a location revealed to none but his most trusted subordinates. It lies up the mountains, away from any hustle of the city, and only a path expertly hidden away allows a car or the like to pass up the hillside. The old man prides himself on the fact that there are none of his watch dogs nearby, and that when he is not staying in-town, he spends his time alone, and completely unguarded. No one knows whether this is true but no one dares to find out whether he is lying.

He would sit in the front room, barefoot on the tatami flooring, and take in the view from up high and drink steaming tea while listening in on the monsoon rain from under his shelter. Occasionally, he would take a walk around his compound and check on the nest of wasps that festered and grew on one of the apricot trees in the backyard, and meditate on what it meant to be devoured in this world.

Kakashi knows all this because he knows Shimura Danzou very well. And this is his only advantage.

The drive up the mountainside is slow. The car he took was an old stick car, registered onto a man who had died a decade ago but whose death certificate never reached the responsible bureau, and the motor fights with the incline. He still has half the way to go when he parks it in an alcove hidden by shrubs, and lets his keys as well as a bag of personal belongings and instructions to go with them on the backseat.

He starts his hike up. All that Kakashi has with him are his clothes and an envelope. His phone, as well as all the burners, have been trashed a few days ago. A letter to his landlord, who would find Kakashi’s apartment as clean as it had been when he moved in, should arrive by tomorrow. He had even fixed the bullet holes in the ceiling.

Sweat trickles down the back of his neck and seeps into his dress shirt. Thankfully, the fabric of his mask allows enough air to flow in and out of his nose because the region’s humidity is high enough to choke on. By the time he reaches the compound, his hair is sticking to his forehead and temples, and sweat sting in his bad eye. But as if he has been expecting him, Danzou leans against one of the stakes of the gate that welcomes guests to his residence, and Kakashi follows him into the house wordlessly.

As usual, Danzou leads him into his office and only when he sits behind the desk, a grunt escaping his throat, does he look at Kakashi.

Kakashi doesn’t hesitate. “I am leaving Root.”

Danzou’s gaze wanders to the tea set. “Pour me some tea, Kakashi.”

Kakashi forgot on what occasion the tea set had been gifted to Danzou. It appears to be quite expensive, so he guesses Danzou’s team had gotten rid of at least one higher-ranking target in the bingo books. Danzou’s team, which includes him.

“I am resigning from Root as of today officially.”

Danzou clicks his tongue. “Don’t be rude and sit down with me.”

Kakashi slides off the ring that has sat on his thumb for longer than it has not. He places it gingerly on the desk, the wood so dark it is almost black, and straightens up again.

Danzou hums. He pours himself some tea. He hasn’t glanced at the ring once. His sole eye, the other obscured by a complicated array of bandages, closes as he brings the cup to his lips.

Kakashi knows better than anyone else. He has not come here out of an impulse and frankly, it would be rude to suggest so. For Kakashi, no matter what will happen, whether he will make it out of this alive or die at the hands of Root, he has found his peace with it.

But he will not go down without trying.

While Danzou drinks his tea, Kakashi procures the envelope from inside his coat jacket. It is a simple standard issue brown, and Kakashi’s sensitive nose picks up the stench of the recycled material. He holds it out to Danzou who raises his head, first looking at Kakashi, and then at the object being handed to him.

Danzou’s hands are strewn with liver spots. He opens the envelope and pulls out the first letter. His eye scans the page, much faster than one would expect from a man his age, and when he is finished, he sets the envelope aside without looking at the other documents and opens a drawer in his desk.

Kakashi doesn’t flinch. All Danzou comes up with is a cigarette, though. He lights it with a matchstick, takes one long drag, and stubs out the cigarette on his desk. “I will kill you.”

Kakashi smiles. “This is the last time you’ll see me.”

~*~*~

The wait for the first offers to arrive is minimal. He didn’t have to tell anyone about leaving Root because the city has a life of its own, and gets the word out for him. Not that there is anyone he could tell in the first place.

Shimura Danzou’s guard-dog has turned its back on his family, the whispers sound across on the subway, at the street corner, and he hears them all while walking as, well, a free man, he supposes. But he doesn’t feel particularly free when he knows that there are eyes on him with every step he takes, when he is wearing a mark like he is starring in a thriller where the director has poured more money into the action scenes than making mob dynamics believable.

He declines the offers like you do within this business: by not responding at all. One night, though, Kakashi sits at a bar to get through the worst hours of the night, and the bartender’s eyes light up as a figure approaches the seat next to Kakashi.

“This taken?”

First, Kakashi notes how the bartender gets on to make a drink right away. Whoever the person is, they must be a regular. Kakashi puts down his own glass, the alcohol neither burning nor affecting his system much, and when he looks up, he has to mentally refrain himself from doing a double-take. Next to him is what they would call a jackpot. The man is wearing heels longer than Kakashi would ever dare walk in, with legs clad in tight jeans, snug in places that make Kakashi feel like he’s sixteen again. Sixteen with a knife hidden in his sleeve sending heady sparks of exhilaration down his spine. Both heels and jeans are the exact same shade of black as Kakashi’s leather gloves.

The man taps at Kakashi’s arm with a single finger. “Eyes up here.”

Kakashi follows suit. Their gazes meet and the man’s grin slides into an easy smile. His ears are pierced, silver rings sitting in them.

“If I can pay for your drink, yes,” Kakashi replies, finally breaking out of his stupor. He’s not sure whether it’s the recent developments in his life that are making his head spin but he wouldn’t bet any money on it.

The man hums and sits down. His blouse is tailored out of half-sheer fabric, loose around the neck and exposing a set of collarbones. Kakashi sees jewelry wind around his neck. He looks at Kakashi from the side, smile still in place. “Let’s settle for you paying our tab.”

Just like that, the bartender slides over two drinks for them. Drops of moisture pearl down the side of the glasses, ice cubes clinking as they pick them up. Kakashi watches him down his drink in one go and his gaze lingers on the line of his throat. In moments such as these Kakashi is very aware of his appearance, how it both entices and keeps others at distance. He’s not wearing his mask unlike when he walks on the street, though, and if that’s not enough to make people look there’s always the scar.

The scar which he finds mirrored on the man’s face, across the bridge of his nose, marring brown skin. It looks old and well-healed but must have been a deep slash if it’s still this visible.

Kakashi notices how he is mustered – no, checked out, the stranger’s eyes not shying away from following the lines of his body. Kakashi can’t suppress the grin from forming on his face and he shifts to the side. “Kakashi,” he says.

The man hesitates just barely. “Iruka.” The name rolls off his tongue like a secret. Kakashi knows that he isn’t being lied to. He figures that if Iruka really is a regular to this bar he either gives a fake name or doesn’t give his name to just everyone. Either way, he allows himself to feel a little smug about this.

Iruka crosses his legs and Kakashi stares at his thighs for just a bit. “What do you do, Kakashi?”

Kakashi sighs dramatically, and pouts a little. “Sweetheart, if I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

That startles a laugh out of Iruka. He is quick to cover it up with his right hand, but he’s still laughing as Kakashi pouts more. “No one has called me _sweetheart_ in years.”

“I can think of other things I could call you.”

The bartender brings them another round. Iruka is grinning as he moves a strand of his loose hair behind his ear. They drink. The low lights in the bar catch in the bottles that are lined up behind the counter, and they reflect as minor stars in Iruka’s eyes. “Sweet talk is not going to get me between your sheets, Kakashi.”

The thing is, Kakashi already knows that this is different from a blowjob in an alley or a quick fuck in an empty backroom of a hotel. Still, he feels the pang of disappointment and Iruka notices it.

He leans forward, their knees touching, until he’s blowing hot breath at Kakashi’s ear. “You’re welcome to try again, though.” A hand graces the fabric of his coat, slipping over the sweater Kakashi wears under it with a feather-light touches, and as quick as he’s there, Iruka’s warmth is gone again.

He watches Iruka reach for his drink, and empty it too. “Thanks for the drinks.” He smiles like he only ever meant it for Kakashi to see, and then he’s out the door. And if Kakashi stares at his ass, there’s no one to blame but Iruka for looking like an angel and devil all at once.

He buys another round and allows himself to miss the warmth for all but two minutes. Sadly, there are more pressing matters at hand. For a lot of mob bosses, loyalty is worth more than lives, and by leaving Root Kakashi made himself less a less valuable asset. There are offers, yes, but without a doubt will he have to pay for turning his back on Danzou.

Kakashi rolls his shoulders. Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter. Danzou is in the past.

He goes for his wallet and furrows his brow when his fingertips touch on a pointed card. Before he pulls it out, though, Kakashi pays with money he has undoubtedly killed for and leaves the bar.

Iruka slipped him a business card. He almost laughs at himself, of course he was there doing _business._ The lesser part of his brain says that Iruka makes a good honeypot, but the smarter part says that his tongue was laced with diplomacy. The street would buy anything off that man. Kakashi turns the card over: the piece of paper is ivory-white, with sleek black letters stamped onto the material. No number, no address. Kakashi’s eye takes in the name and as it registers, he suppresses another laugh.

If there is one gang, one family name that Kakashi hoped for, hoped to fall under its protection because he would actually be kept alive…

He slips the business card back where Iruka put it and walks into the night.

~*~*~

He enters the building right as the sun sets behind the horizon. When he was younger and his father was still alive, Kakashi thought that stars were not much bigger than pebbles. Sitting on Sakumo’s shoulders, his long ponytail carefully swept to the side so Kakashi wouldn’t pull on it, he reached his little hands towards the night sky and imagine he could pick star after star out of the dark, like one picked cherries from a tree.

After he found his father in a pool of blood, Kakashi gave up on the foolish mindset of a child. Sakumo had tried to explain to Kakashi how it wasn’t as easy to pull down stars from the sky as he imagined it to be. But after Kakashi had joined Root, and with the months and years adding up, Kakashi realized that his father had been wrong all along. Because it was easy. Easy to snuff out the light behind someone’s eyes.

He tenses with the memory and exhales deeply as he shakes it.

There is light, so much light, and he briefly thanks whatever god is out there that he hasn’t managed to get banned from this casino in particular. He hears the mocking voices of his former teammates that it won’t take long before he gets a house ban for this one, too, but in reality, there is no way Kakashi could afford getting kicked out from here. Out of all the city’s glittering nightlife, out of all the ways to spend your money and sell your soul, the bars, the brothels, the clubs, the _Hokage Tower_ is unmatched in its reputation and its class.

This is easy, though. He walks through the aisles as if this place belongs to him and the heads that do turn at his presence expose mouths with sharp teeth. The patch over his eye does not stand out between the expensive lace, the ringed fingers, and tattooed faces. Kakashi doesn’t glance back but keeps going. He’s wearing one of his better suits, velvet and tailored so it could hide weapons if the need be. The color, a dark maroon, contrasts nicely with his hair and complexion.

“Look who’s here.”

A woman sidles up to him and takes his arm and Kakashi forces himself to relax. This is not enemy territory. He smiles and lets himself be guided, the woman gliding between the tables as if she is showing him how this is _really_ done.

“Hatake Kakashi. I almost did not believe it until I saw you with my own eyes. You lost your leash. Or should I say collar?” The woman caresses his arm like Kakashi handles a knife. The tattoo of a snake trails up her back and around the shoulders, with its head resting on the side of her neck. His eye closes in on the darting tongue as she continues to speak. “But all the better for us, right? Root’s guard dog, at our feet.”

“Does Sarutobi have a habit of taking on strays?”

The woman’s eyes narrow but she keeps the smile. “You tell me.”

Kakashi leans towards her so their conversation cannot be overheard by a third party. “That little snake you got there. Unusual to have the tongue cut off, though. Reminds me of something. Or someone. Is Oroch – “

“End that sentence and I’ll feed you to the dogs.”

Kakashi feigns his surprise. “Oh, you have dogs? Where? Can I see them?”

She bares her teeth then, and Kakashi is genuinely surprised that they aren’t coated in blood. The light brown of her pupils make her face look softer but apart from that she carries herself like a weapon. Her fingernails dig into his jacket, until Kakashi can feel their sharpness on his skin. “Someone thinks he’s funny. I like it. We’ll see how long it keeps you alive for.” At once, her body next to his is gone. He looks back, past his shoulder, and catches a glimpse of dark-purple hair and a mutilated snake sending him off.

When he turns back around, he’s standing in an area that was secluded from the main area, dimly lit, and away from the flashing lights and fantasies of the rich. A few men and women sit at the bar in the background but most of the attention is drawn to the pool table a few steps ahead of him. He closes in on the figure that’s nearest to him and ignores the skipping beat of his heart. The group is just setting up another game, placing half-empty Hennessy bottles on the table as extra obstacles. Kakashi takes in the other people in the group, sunburnt hands and faces, and finds at least one woman dressed in Alex Wang couture. The ages of the players vary vastly and as a waiter offers another round of sparkling champagne, he already notes who declines, who doesn’t, and who asks for a non-alcoholic drink with one inconspicuous gesture.

He eases into the free space before him. “Need one more player?”

Immediately, Iruka looks up at him and beams. “You’re here.”

And Kakashi thinks, yes, of course he is here, he needs a job that will keep him alive, and he doesn’t know anything but _this_ rotten work, but at the same time he melts at Iruka’s light-hearted reaction, as if he doubted that Kakashi would turn up, as if Kakashi wasn’t ready to eat a three-course dinner off his skin.

Iruka’s wearing clothes that make him very much look like Hollywood’s wet dream of a mobster: a white dress shirt, suspenders, and pants that hug his waist. Just that he has rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, and left it unbuttoned but for one lonely button right at his waistband. His hair is pulled into a sleek ponytail, eyes accentuated with black winged eyeliner, and Kakashi is careful not to let his eyes linger too long in front of other company. Iruka is quick to introduce him to the rest of the party, and once again Kakashi wonders what part Iruka is playing.

He shakes the hands of affiliates, of made men and women, of criminals. He isn’t told any of this, but Kakashi knows. None of them wear it on their sleeves but Kakashi _knows._

His analysis is interrupted when a tall man clasps his shoulder, a move that under normal circumstances would have landed him a fist in his kidneys, and booms right for everyone to hear: “Finally, a worthy fucking opponent.”

The company laughs and Kakashi doesn’t. He keeps his face as neutral as he can at the uninvited physical contact, and meets his ‘opponent’ eye to eye. The sides of his head are shaved and he’s wearing a hideous green monster of a suit but somehow, he pulls it off. Kakashi has never had anyone grin at him like it would be a joy to lose to Kakashi.

“Gai, please. He didn’t even accept yet,” Iruka says next to Kakashi, sounding a little embarrassed.

“Even better! Let it be a test.”

Iruka sighs, and hands his billiard cue off to Kakashi and Kakashi doesn’t miss how their fingers brush and Iruka lingers. “I’m getting a drink.”

Kakashi doesn’t try to hide his chagrin. “You won’t watch?”

Iruka looks up and for one moment, his expression becomes unguarded. But Kakashi can’t get a read on the mix of fear, and anger, and foreboding that he sees. As quick as it came, as quick it leaves, replaced by a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’m already watching, Kakashi.”

~*~*~

Gai turns out to be the most enthusiastic person that Kakashi has ever met. He loses to Kakashi and takes it well and with pride, and Kakashi almost tells him that it’s not fair to play against him, because he’s got an advantage in the form of a mutilated, experimented-on donor eye. But Kakashi remembers who he is and says nothing, except that this time it’s him who claps on Gai’s shoulder. “Next time?” he offers as consolation.

“Of course. You just turned yourself into my eternal rival with that performance.”

Kakashi laughs because Gai is both ridiculous and hilarious and he finds himself liking the man for boldly being himself. Before he can answer, however, there is the unmistakable perfume from earlier and the snake, what Kakashi is calling her in his head, is back.

“Time to go and meet the higher-ups, Rex.”

“Are you my personal escort?”

The woman rolls her eyes. Kakashi notices her left eyebrow is pierced, twice. “Fuck no. Iruka wanted to do this but he’s busy.” She glances away from where she was already steering Kakashi away from Gai and the others, and a nervous expression flitters over her face. Kakashi follows her lead and finds Iruka standing at one of the heavily guarded emergency exits, arguing with the guards. His face is flush with color, and strands of his ponytail went adrift, but all Kakashi sees is the anger on Iruka’s face that he had caught a glimpse of before. The guards don’t argue back which makes it appear as if Iruka is scolding them. Once again, Kakashi asks himself what Iruka’s part in all of this is.

She notices that he’s distracted and jabs him in the side. “Let me give you a piece of sisterly advice and don’t get involved with him.”

Kakashi raises one eyebrow. “And what if he gets involved with me?”

The woman huffs. “He can do whatever he wants. And he can protect himself. But wrong him, and this city will make your life a living hell. You would be better off dead.”

Kakashi hums as they leave the main hall through a nondescript door, and make their way through an array of hallways, and at least three sets of stairs upwards. “That wouldn’t make much of a difference compared to the place I just left.”

She lets go of him and gives him a last calculating look. She hesitates, but then opens her mouth. “The name’s Anko. Don’t forget it.”

He doesn’t think that what he said would have impressed her enough to win her name but as he turns it over in his head, the way she hissed it, she knocks on the door in front of them and opens it without waiting.

They enter.

~*~*~

Between the heavy smoke of cigars and the buffet placed in the middle of the room, Kakashi is introduced to some of the family’s best sponsors. Anko does her job in acquainting him without any slide remarks, and the party warms up to him although they all know who he is, and why he is here. There’s relief in not having been thrown out yet, Kakashi thinks.

When it’s time to broker, Kakashi sits down and for the first time in years he spills. Spills what he’s got on Root because _also_ for the first time in years he’s hoping to benefit from a contract for his own personal gain. Clinging like a leech, he hears Danzou’s voice, but he digs his nails into his palms, takes a long drag from his cigarette, and pushes the envelope he has been carrying on his body since that day at Danzou’s residence over to the blonde woman who was presented to him as a stand-in for the mob’s boos. Senju, Kakashi thinks. He knows that name.

She reads the file, reads the horrors that Danzou has buried underneath the underneath, and looks up when she is done. Her face shows nothing but a hardness in her eyes, one that is cold as steel. Her voice drips with promise when she speaks.

“You’ll be safe here.”

~*~*~

As much as Kakashi wants to talk to him, Iruka seems to duck in and out of the compound like no one else. He’s hoping to finish what they started at the bar but whenever their paths cross, Iruka has to excuse himself to run an errand or is caught by another member or associate and lead astray.

One evening, though, Kakashi is just about to make his way to his car, ready to burn and crash at his apartment after running on caffeine for far too long, as he runs into a familiar figure.

“Kakashi? Oh shit,” Iruka curses, and frantically stubs out his cigarette on the asphalt underneath his feet. “Don’t tell anyone you saw me smoking.”

Kakashi takes in the cropped hoodie, the combat pants, the line of exposed skin and – focus. Focus. What did he say?

“You smoke?”

Iruka shakes his head. “Definitely not.”

Kakashi snorts, and crosses his arms in front of his chest, leaning against the building’s brick wall. Iruka checks him out, again, and all he wants to do is kiss him, even with the nicotine wafting off him.

“Oh!” Iruka exclaims. Kakashi gets the impression that Iruka hasn’t gotten much sleep lately either, with how busy he seems to be. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you but – “ He stops, worries at his lip. “I need a partner for a mission, and I planned it with you in mind.”

Kakashi’s heart skips a beat. He doesn’t know what impression Iruka has of him but there is no way in hell he’d ever say no to a single thing that man proposes.

“Yes,” he says.

“Yes?” Iruka asks, a little perplexed.

“Tell me a time and place and I’ll be there.”

Iruka eases into a grin.

~*~*~

“So we are essentially stealing it back?”

Kakashi leans forward, spreading his legs and resting his elbows on his knees. He sat down on the mint-colored settee a while ago to watch Iruka get ready for their job tonight.

Iruka fiddles with a pair of heavy-set earrings by the balcony. The doors stand open and they let in the midday breeze, the white curtains billowing when the wind picks up, and Kakashi takes a deep breath over the view. Iruka’s back is turned towards him. A velvet dress covers what Kakashi now knows to be a large scar sitting right under his shoulder blades, almost masterly placed over his spine.

Then Iruka shifts, his face sour, and walks over to the mirror that runs along the whole height of the wall. With his earrings finally in, he relaxes. “I wish these weren’t so heavy,” he sighs and inspects them for just a moment longer. “And no. It’s not stealing back if it wasn’t ours to begin with. There’s a good chance that tonight gets messy. You got your equipment ready, right?”

Kakashi nods and Iruka smiles at him.

God, Kakashi is so fucked.

Iruka sits down next to him on the settee, propping his head and arms on the backrest, body opened towards Kakashi. He looks every ounce of a cat the way he is moving and Kakashi can’t help but let his eyes run over Iruka’s every inch.

“Kakashi?”

Kakashi blinks and meets Iruka’s eyes.

“I was talking to you and you spaced out.”

Kakashi throws his head back and groans. “Can you blame me when you look like _that_ , though?”

Iruka bites his lip to keep himself from outright laughing. His shoulders are shaking from the effort but Kakashi revels in the warmth that’s seeping into Iruka’s cheeks, dusting them in rose. He has averted his gaze from Kakashi.

Kakashi decides to push further. “What? Are you telling me you’re getting shy now after you asked me to zip up your dress?”

Iruka laughs. “You’re impossible, Kakashi.”

Kakashi hums and touches his hand to Iruka’s bare ankle. When Iruka stands, the dress reaches down to the ground but sitting down it’s rucked up, exposing more of Iruka’s brown skin. At the touch, Iruka turns back slowly, staring at their point of contact and Kakashi swears he can feel his gaze burn right through him.

“You have seen yourself in the mirror plenty today but I’m not sure if you actually realize what you look like.”

“I told you sweet talk is not gonna bring you anywhere,” Iruka says but there’s no strength behind his words. Kakashi leans forward at the same time as he sneaks his hand further up, and whenever Iruka will tease him next, Kakashi will remind him of how easy his legs parted for him. The suit he’s wearing constricts his movements but he’s used to that, too busy fitting himself in the space Iruka leaves open, not quite touching Iruka yet.

Iruka goes uncharacteristically silent and it stops Kakashi in his tracks. He searches his face for any sign of discomfort but knows that wouldn’t be enough, so he reaches out and tugs a single strand of Iruka’s hair behind his ear. Iruka’s eyes are transfixed on him during the whole of it. “Tell me if you don’t want this.”

As a response, Iruka reaches out and crashes their mouths together. His hands cup Kakashi’s face and he sighs into the kiss when Kakashi lets his lips part. It’s frantic, and it sends his head on a spin but fuck, he has never been kissed like this before, like someone wanted to pull him apart just to put him back together. They only break when they are both desperate for air but Kakashi doesn’t let Iruka go far and is back on him in an instant, tugging at his bottom lip.

“You don’t know how badly I wanted to kiss you at that goddamn bar,” Kakashi huffs and Iruka tugs him down by his tie until he’s lying flat on his back, and Kakashi above him.

“Only kiss me?” Iruka asks and bites down on a whine when Kakashi moves to his neck, moving the expensive jewelry to the side before he presses open-mouthed kisses to the sensitive skin there. Iruka’s hands move under his jacket and he lets out a frustrated noise, trying to get at least the jacket off Kakashi's shoulders.

He sits up, straddling Iruka’s hips, and the sight in front of him goes straight to his cock. Iruka’s hair is disheveled from Kakashi’s fingers running through it, his lips slightly swollen. Kakashi wants to devour him whole.

“Iruka,” he says and looks right into his eyes. He wants Iruka to know that he’s not just playing games here. “I would have gotten down on my knees and blown you right there if you had let me.”

Iruka closes his eyes and swallows heavily. “I didn’t peg you for an exhibitionist.” His voice comes out strained and Kakashi can’t help but laugh at how much he fucking adores Iruka’s smart mouth.

“I think I’m a little too possessive for that.”

“That’s not very cute, Kakash – “ Iruka starts but trails off into a hiss when Kakashi’s hand moves further up and finds Iruka’s cock already half-hard. What gets to him more, though, is the fact that Iruka is not wearing any underwear.

Kakashi’s eyes go comically wide as he pulls off Iruka, who shoots him a glare at the loss of contact.

“Are you – “ he gapes at Iruka, and Iruka only glares more. “What? You’d see the lines of anything I’d wear under the dress. And the fabric feels nice on my skin.”

Kakashi sinks down and rests his forehead against Iruka’s shoulder. “Fucking hell,” Kakashi whines while Iruka pats his hair impatiently as if he were to say, _yes, sure_ , _whatever._ “You’re going to be the death of me. Do you have lube in here?”

Iruka gestures at the bottom drawer of his dresser and Kakashi is quick to fetch a bottle of lube, not willing to part from Iruka too long. He covers his hand and guides it back between Iruka’s legs at the same time as he delves in for a kiss that ends up harder than he intended it to be. Kakashi gives Iruka a few experimental tugs, watching the reactions on Iruka’s face to see what makes his eyes flutter shut and what has his breath catching in his throat. He works him up to a good rhythm and it doesn’t take long until Iruka starts writhing under him, trying to find more skin that he can touch but not finding any, before he goes for Kakashi’s belt.

Kakashi doesn’t stop jacking him off but, as much as it pains his own dick, moves away from Iruka’s eager hands. “Ah, no.” He leans down and captures Iruka’s mouth in another kiss. “Let me take care of you, Iruka,” he whispers right into Iruka’s ear and gets himself a nip at his neck for that.

Iruka’s hips buck up when Kakashi runs his thumb along his frenulum and over the slit at the top of his head, and he smiles at the precum leaking out of it. “You’re gonna make me come on my dress,” Iruka gasps not soon after, and Kakashi grips the base of his cock, staunching his orgasm.

“You can change into another one.”

Iruka’s hands are in Kakashi’s hair and he tugs at it, the color in his cheeks spreading further down his neck and what’s exposed of his chest. Iruka’s breathing is heavy and they stare at each other for a moment.

“This is Dior, Kakashi.”

“You’re gorgeous,” Kakashi says and grins down at him. Iruka tries for an exasperated frown but a smile fights its way through. Kakashi can’t resist the urge to kiss him again, but he leaves it at a peck. “I mean it.” Iruka lets one of his hands fall out of Kakashi’s hair and rests it above his head.

“You already got your hand on my dick, no need to butter me up.”

Kakashi shakes his head a little and loosens his grip on Iruka’s cock to run his fingers along the bottom ridge of the head. The pause has given Iruka time to calm down enough not to be sitting right at the edge anymore, ready to tumble over, and Kakashi only wishes they had more time so he could do much more than this. He tells Iruka exactly that as he closes his hand around his cock and starts to jerk him off in earnest.

“I’d make you take off the dress for me and suck you off until you can’t talk anymore. Until you can make nothing but more of those pretty little noises for me.”

He looks down and sees Iruka’s toes curl. His eyes are squeezed shut. “Fucking hell, Kakashi,” Iruka mutters as he fists one hand in his dress shirt. He spreads his legs further apart and Kakashi can feel his thighs tremble slightly.

“Maybe next time I should have you touch yourself in front of me. Watch you closely so I know exactly how to make you feel good. Would you like that, Iruka?” Kakashi raises himself up so he can tug at the fabric of the dress, exposing Iruka to the colder air in the room, balcony doors still wide open.

He loves how responsive Iruka is to his words. Loves how he’s managed to turn Iruka, who usually carries himself with confidence, into a sweet, incoherent mess. He gives Iruka’s cock an appreciative once-over, how it fits into his hand perfectly, and he can’t help but lean down and place a kiss right on the head. He swirls his tongue around it once, twice. “God, look at you, darling, you’re so pretty.”

He’s yanked up by his tie, until he’s nose to nose with Iruka.

“Kiss me,” Iruka breathes and Kakashi complies. When Iruka comes, he does so with a strangled moan, nails digging into Kakashi’s clothed shoulders. Kakashi swallows the sound right up, muttering sweet nothings against his lips and strokes him through his high.

Iruka opens his eyes and blearily blinks at him. Kakashi doesn’t expect the fingers ghosting over his face but he’d let him touch whatever part of him. Iruka stays clear of the scar, though, but Kakashi catches his wandering eyes. “I don’t mind.”

Iruka understands what Kakashi implies and lets his touch linger on Kakashi’s closed eyelid before his hand moves down to cup his cheek.

“You look very satisfied with yourself.”

Kakashi gives him a wolfish grin. “I feel very accomplished if you ask me.”

Iruka rolls his eyes, smiling however, and he lifts his head to steal a quick kiss before lifting himself up his elbows, looking down. “You did get come on my dress.” But Kakashi notices that he doesn’t sound mad about it in the slightest. He gestures at the erection straining against Kakashi’s pants. “Do you want some help with that?”

Sure, it’s uncomfortable walking with a hard-on and thinking of Iruka’s hands on his dick makes Kakashi’s brain short-circuit in the best way, but he shakes his head. “No, I’m good. I meant it when I said I wanted to take care of you. We need to get ready anyway.”

Iruka sighs but nods, and Kakashi sends him a dirty look when he uses his dress to clean himself. “Oh, so now it doesn’t matter?”

Iruka’s nose crinkles from how wide his smile is. It’s so smug that Kakashi considers quitting his job right there just so he can stay in this room for the next few hours instead of strolling around a fancy gala.

“You know, I didn’t like the color anyway.”

~*~*~

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’ll take that. My husband had to give up drinking because he would get in those terrible moods,” Iruka purrs and takes the champagne flute off the waiter before Kakashi can accept the glass. The waiter continues to serve the party without a comment but the woman they are currently talking to nods sympathetically. “We’re working on it, right, honey?” He pats Kakashi’s chest and puts on a smile that’s straight up sugar. Kakashi’s eyebrow twitches. Iruka bats his eyelashes at him while he takes a happy little sip of the beverage. He’s tucked his arm into Kakashi’s, his body’s warmth seeping even through the layers of clothes that Kakashi is wearing.

Kakashi isn’t used to working undercover the same way that Iruka is: for Kakashi there haven’t been secret identities to assume other than Hound who was a faceless ghost, a legend, that appeared to carry out sentences. Iruka, however, is skilled in assuming various roles, and he is used to assuming them _quickly_. For the love of everything that is holy, Kakashi has stopped picking his brain apart trying to understand what exactly Iruka’s position in Sarutobi’s family is. This is the first assignment they are running together, though, as Kakashi mostly does contract killings for various associates that leave him alone for most of the time. He’s not complaining – it’s easy money and Kakashi makes a good hitman because now that he has the choice to decline offers he doesn’t have to worry about his own moral ethics interfering with his work anymore. Not that there is much ethics to begin with in this field.

They planned this night thoroughly enough. Mingle with the common folk until the senator, whose name Kakashi has already forgotten because it’s not important for the job and he does not care enough, comes out to hold his little speech about the occasion for the gala. He vaguely remembers that his name sounds Russian and that the gala is supposed to be a charity event for a recent oil leak in the Pacific and Kakashi wonders how that fits together. During the speech Iruka will part from him with an excuse the people will eat right up because Iruka has his ways with them, and seek out the private quarters of the senator. Most of the prep for this has been done before Kakashi has even met Iruka, and his purpose here is to make sure shit doesn’t hit the fan, or if it hits the fan he’s the one to get Iruka out safely.

“He’s behaving so well and I’m so proud of him. I didn’t even have to help him into his suit tonight. A year ago I never thought I’d be able to enjoy a night like this with my husband at my side ever again.” Iruka sniffles at this and Kakashi is torn between rolling his eyes and bursting out into laughter. What a little shit.

The hair of the older woman is backcombed so high that it almost reaches Kakashi’s height and he cannot help but keep looking at it. It’s a monstrosity. Iruka notices, of course, and steps on his toes, purposefully. The woman dabs at the corners of her eyes with a tissue, obviously moved by Iruka’s fairytale, and Kakashi tunes out of the conversation when she says that she has been skeptical of gay marriage before but seeing this display of love and affection completely changed her mind. He can hear Iruka say something about being so glad, well and truly merry, that they got her specific approval, but then the lights dim down and refocus on the stage at the front of the room.

Iruka’s voice is merely a whisper when he comes up to Kakashi’s ear. “Showtime.”

~*~*~

“How close are you?” Kakashi asks.

“ _I’m still looking for the hidden files. They have to be here_.”

Kakashi’s hand goes up nonchalantly to readjust the comm over which he can hear Iruka loud and clear. “You have about six minutes until Sergey leaves the stage and goes back to his private rooms for a little refresher.”

“ _His name is Victor Turgenev, Kakashi, and he’s running for a seat.”_

There is rustling in the background. Kakashi ponders how Iruka’s concentrated expression might be a similar one to when he’s close to finishing after Kakashi has teased him for hours. Well, there’s only one way to find out.

“You know I don’t really care. Five minutes.” He moves swiftly through the bustle without catching attention and positions himself next to a set of stairs that leads up to the first and second floors.

“ _I do. I like to know the names of people I’m going to ruin._ ”

What does it say about him that he finds this ridiculously hot?

_“Fucking hell, I found it. Pray that Tenzou’s decryption key works as quick as he promised it to be.”_

Kakashi just hums and does another sweep of the crowd. He smiles at a waitress passing him, knowing that his face is much less impressionable with his scar covered and contact lenses in.

Sergey, or Victor, turns out not to only run an environmental NGO but to use this NGO as a cover for his less legal activities. Iruka’s eyes took on a hard edge despite his smile when he explained how the files in question were on promising research data regarding a new vaccine for a disease that is currently spreading through the country, especially affecting communities of lower income. When Kakashi asked how that concerned them Iruka simply leaned back in his chair on the balcony, and told him how the senator had acquired this specific data. Kakashi wasn’t too surprised to hear that the research team had gone missing on their return to their home country after their breakthrough, and are now presumed dead.

Stealing isn’t morally wrong when the goods are stolen to begin with. So, by acquiring the data off Turgenev, Iruka wants to make sure that the politician won’t keep the vaccine just for himself like he’s intending to do. Instead, Iruka is going to sell it to the highest bidder on the black market with the condition that they’ll make the vaccine available to the public. Break the promise, and their nights of restful sleep would be over soon.

Kakashi perks up when two security guards at the west entrance exchange a few words with their gazes fixed on the staircase. Where he has watched Iruka disappear what now seems like hours ago. He rolls his shoulders and releases a satisfied sigh when the joints in his neck pop. Like he has been made for this, and really, he _has_ been made and trained and molded into this, Kakashi advances towards the guards. “How long, Iruka?”

_“Seven minutes. Better if I could get ten.”_

One of the security guards starts to move up the stairs. Kakashi makes a beeline for number two before number one is halfway up the staircase. Number two notices him when he’s just three steps away and he straightens up, obviously irritated by Kakashi’s determined movement, as if he were a pawn coming right for the queen.

“Watch out,” Kakashi says and the guard doesn’t have the time to react before Kakashi slams his fist into his nose.

To give him his due, number two isn’t distracted by the blood streaming out of his broken nose and neither is he distracted by the horrified yell of a spectator nearby. It’s not enough to draw the attention from the stage where Turgenev is still going on and on about plastic straws that will be the end of the whole damn universe as they know it, and then he is shoved through the nearest doorway with One right at his back. Good.

“This should give you ten,” Kakashi grunts loud enough for Iruka to hear who confirms this.

_“Don’t get in trouble.”_

As soon as the door to the main hall closes behind them, Kakashi throws One of him. He ducks a hit aimed at his jaw. Parries what would have been a kick to his kidneys. He smashes the butt of his gun against the back of Two’s skull which leaves the man stunned and cursing for a while.

When the first guard hits the ground, Kakashi pulls him up by his tie and strangles him with it until he passes out. He almost manages to tear the fabric of the tie but lucky for Kakashi, Turgenev must have invested in some quality attire.

He hears Iruka’s earlier remark about his dress being _Dior_ in his head and laughs under his breath.

“ _Are you having fun without me?_ ”

There’s a very obvious pout in Iruka’s voice. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Kakashi assures, and a kick to Two’s head, who is still crouching on the ground, knocks him out. Kakashi takes it back, these security guards _suck_. Kakashi takes a look at his watch. “Things might get a little hectic in a minute.”

He straightens the jacket of his suit from where it shifted out of place.

And just like that two doors ahead of him open in unison, with another round of yelling guards pouring out.

~*~*~

Kakashi’s body runs on pure adrenaline by the time he makes it to the senator’s private chambers. The fire alarm has been drilling for a whole two minutes now. “I’m starting to get a headache.”

“You’re the one who set it off,” Iruka says and turns away from the computer and towards him. His grin is brilliant, pure madness, and Kakashi wants to sweep him off his feet, right now. He has to admit that Iruka’s second dress does fit him better, the color stuck somewhere between the depths of an ocean and tree crowns huddling together. It has a daring décolleté and Kakashi is taken in by the sight.

He shakes his head a little to clear his thoughts and walks over to where Iruka is looking at him with a slightly tucked chin, one eyebrow raised, a pleased expression tugging at his mouth. He doesn’t back away when Kakashi leans in for a kiss, because really, he can’t help himself, he thinks he was made to kiss Iruka, here, with the rush of endorphins throwing his levelheadedness right out of the window.

Iruka is quick to open his mouth against Kakashi’s and a butterfly hum sets off in his chest.

“One wrong move and I’ll shoot. Turn around. Slowly.”

Kakashi parts reluctantly from Iruka, and his eyelids flutter open to the sight of familiar brown irises. He takes a slow step back from Iruka, turning around to face the security guard in the doorway, several feet ahead of them. There is indeed a gun pointed right at Kakashi. The fire alarm blares and blares and Kakashi wants to get this over with.

“Hands where I can see – “

The guard crumples to the floor with a shout as Iruka shoots his right leg. He slides the gun into Kakashi’s back pocket and links his arm with Kakashi’s. “Let’s go.”

They make their escape through a window and tumble into the car that waits for them already.

Iruka waves the flash drive in front of Kakashi’s face, and Kakashi drinks his laughter right up.

~*~*~

His apartment is plunged into deep shadows when he closes the door behind him. It’s dark enough to almost miss the figure curled up on Kakashi’s couch but then Kakashi isn’t exactly one to overlook the finer details in life.

He doesn’t turn on the lights but the figure stirs at the sound of the door closing. The noise isn’t loud by any means but Kakashi guesses that Iruka has been waiting for him for quite a while.

His eyes are unreadable as he comes towards Kakashi, takes in his battered form, the split lip, the bleeding knuckles, and his gaze hardens. “I didn’t think this assignment would have you turning up like this,” he says, low and guarded. Something about his expression makes Kakashi think that he’s still out looking for his target, as if he’s still in the field and needs to tread with caution.

Kakashi’s throat hurts a little when he speaks. The last time he has had some water… must be far too long in the past. “No. The one I told you about went over quickly but I had another job to take care of.”

Iruka’s is just reaching out to, well, Kakashi doesn’t actually know, but he likes to imagine that Iruka’s caresses are not just praise for a job done well but because he genuinely likes to touch Kakashi. The thing between them, he has no name for it because he doesn’t dare to give it one. He’s quite content in sharing his body’s heat with Iruka but he finds himself looking out for the man whenever he can, and enjoys sitting with him in silence, in banter, in company. He likes it so much that it scares him sometimes because sex, sex is easy. Relationships are not.

Iruka stops mid-way, and his fingers recoil as if he has touched a stove. “You took another job right after a hit?”

Kakashi nods and starts peeling his black sweater over his head now that Iruka isn’t touching him after all. He must reek from the adrenaline but it’s nothing a shower won’t fix. He hears Iruka suck in a breath.

“You’ve got bruises all over.”

Looking down at his arms, he does. The sweater covered those, but now in a sleeveless tank top, he has to agree that it’s not a pretty view. He shrugs. Bruises are nothing to him.

“How many assignments are you running?” Iruka’s brow is furrowed.

Kakashi bends over to unpack his bag, planning to shower after, as Iruka is intent on having a conversation now. “Two this week, three the last.”

Iruka is quiet for a moment and he notices that Iruka’s fists are balled at the edge of his vision. “You’re bleeding.”

Surprised, Kakashi scans his body and there, a cut he hasn’t noticed. As if Iruka summoned it into existence, he can feel the sting of it now, on his lower abdominals. It’s not deep but will need some time to heal.

“Who’s making you take these?”

Kakashi frowns. “No one. You know I can decline the offers.”

“Then why are you doing this? Do you need money?”

If there is one thing that Kakashi doesn’t need, it’s money. His father made sure of it before he died. “No, I don’t,” he starts and lifts his head to get a look at Iruka. He’s wearing a mesh combo like he has seen Anko wear the first time he met her but on Iruka it looks softer, makeup missing and braid loosened from where he’s probably been napping on Kakashi’s couch. “What’s wrong, Iruka?”

Iruka’s eyes narrow and he shakes his head. “What’s wrong is that you’re running yourself into the ground with missions you don’t need to take.”

“Hey,” Kakashi objects and stands back up, “I’m choosing to do this.”

“Yes, and that only makes it worse.”

Kakashi’s frown deepens.

“I keep patching you up – remember when your ribs were broken and you refused to see our doc – just to have you return all beat up again. Are you _trying_ to get injured? Is that what it is?” Iruka’s working himself up now. Kakashi can see it in his hands that he gestures with, in the way his shoulders are set. He doesn’t get it, though. Doesn’t see what there is for Iruka to be angry at.

He tries to choose his next words carefully. Maybe Iruka’s tired of playing nurse? Surely has better things to do? “I didn’t ask you to help me, Iruka.”

And ouch. From the look on Iruka’s face, that was definitely the wrong thing to say. Iruka takes an instinctive step back, sucks in a deep breath. He stares at Kakashi with such open, unconcealed contempt, Kakashi wants to hide from him.

“You didn’t ask me –“ he repeats, incredulous.” Kakashi’s heart skips a beat at the tone. “I fucking know that,” Iruka spits. “I’m just trying…” His hands come up to his face, he shoves his fingers through his hair, he looks… exhausted.

“You know what? Alright. Fine. If you want to keep hurting yourself, you’re free to do so. But I won’t be here for it.”

Iruka leaves, and they don’t see each other for a while.

~*~*~

It’s the middle of the night when he hits the brakes and his car comes to a standstill in front of the stairs leading up to the mansion. Tsunade is waiting for him when he gets out of the car and jogs around to the trunk, retrieving a black gym back.

They march up the stairs in step while Tsunade gives him instructions.

“This is one of the Sarutobi residences. I’m aware you’ve never been here but this is the building we briefed you for last Friday. So you’re familiar with its outline and all the exits.”

Kakashi nods as he surveys the building’s height, recalling the blueprint patterns etched into the back of his mind.

She leads him to the first floor and comes to a halt at the top of the stairway. Tsunade looks at him over her shoulder. “I need to be going right about now. I’ll show you to a room, and all you have to do is make sure that nothing goes in or comes out of it. Right?”

“Windows?”

“Bulletproof. Not what you need to worry about. Guard the door.”

He doesn’t ask what’s inside the room because if Tsunade doesn’t deem it useful for him to know, then he doesn’t need to know. The calm of a job washes over him, his attention focused on what’s in front of him. Nothing matters but the parameters.

They walk along the hallway and out of the corner of his eyes Kakashi takes in the design of the place, how it looks modern and sleek, but still lived in.

The security system whirrs as it locks the front door behind Tsunade. Kakashi leans against the wall as he gets ready for a long night. He’s wearing all black and the weight of a gun rests against his hip. Back in Root they had trained them all to get into a semblance of a meditative trance that sharpened their senses, as well as make the time pass quicker. That way the first three hours fly without anything happening.

Kakashi is just taking a quick break to stretch his legs and when he halts and turns his head towards the door. Come to think of it, it doesn’t look like there was anything special behind it – Kakashi guesses it’s a bedroom. He inches towards it, strains his ears. Someone is moving in there, slowly, sluggishly.

They draw nearer towards the wall Kakashi leans against, and he holds his breath as he waits for the person’s next move.

The handle is pushed down but the door doesn’t open. There’s a confused huff, and a muffled curse, and they try for the handle, again. When they realize it won’t budge, the cursing gets louder. _“What the fuck?”_

And Kakashi knows that voice.

He startles like a wild animal caught in a truck’s headlights.

It’s Iruka.

Iruka starts banging against the door. “Jesus, what the – who took the damn keys? Anko? Izumo? This shit isn’t funny.”

Every word reverberates loud and clear as if Iruka was speaking right into Kakashi’s ears and his head reels. Why is he guarding a room with Iruka in it? Why is Iruka here to begin with? He isn’t used to asking questions on a job but he can’t help it. It’s _Iruka_. He hasn’t seen him since their fight, although it’s wasn’t as much as a fight as Iruka getting angry and leaving. In between the missions, Kakashi has had enough hours to ruminate, and to miss Iruka’s presence in his life, catching his attention from across the room when they are both at the compound and seeing a smile blossom on his face. Or Iruka’s calls whenever Kakashi’s in for another long drive. Calls him just to talk. To keep Kakashi company, and not alone, his voice a little muffled from where Kakashi wedges his phone into the side compartment of the driver’s door, but still there.

Behind the door, Iruka starts rummaging around the room. “Listen, open the goddamn door.” Iruka’s voice sounds strained. Rough. “If this is a prank, it’s not a good one.”

Kakashi’s hand moves on his own. He presses it against the wood and closes his eyes. It’s a job, he tells himself.

“And my fucking phone – “ Iruka sounds close to crying.

Fuck it.

“Iruka,” Kakashi croaks and Iruka stops talking all at once.

Iruka doesn’t reply immediately and the world turns so quiet that Kakashi hears his heart pump in his chest.

“ _Kakashi?”_

Kakashi ignores how his heart jumps a mile at the feeling of his name in Iruka’s mouth. Slowly, he lets his head hang forward. He could still pretend not to be here, let Iruka play this up to a figment of his imagination, but fuck. Fuck. His brow rests against the door and he clears his throat. “Yeah, it’s me.” He speaks just loud enough for Iruka to hear.

“What – what are you doing here?” Kakashi imagines that Iruka is running his hands through his hair. The man has always been a victim to his own emotions, bad at hiding them when he didn’t have to. Before Kakashi can answer, Iruka’s voice draws nearer. “Who sent you here?”

Kakashi bites his lips till he tastes blood. It doesn’t make any sense to pretend that he wouldn’t put the world at Iruka’s feet. “Tsunade called me a few hours back.”

He can almost touch Iruka’s frustration, it’s that palpable. “Why would she – why is this a _job_? Did she give you any keys?”

Kakashi shakes his head. “No. No, and I didn’t know that you’re in there, I swear, she told me not to let anyone in or out of this room. I was briefed a week ago but I didn’t _know_.”

“Can you – can you open the door? It turns inward. I don’t think I could break… break the lock right now.” Iruka lets out a shaky exhale and Kakashi remembers the tell-tale signs of panic, remembers Iruka’s off-handed comment a few weeks ago about not being good with confined spaces.

Kakashi doesn’t hesitate. “Move to the side.” At the first kick the wood doesn’t budge. The second manages to splinter it where the lock is sitting, but the third does the trick and breaks the lock, the door going a little askew from the force. He nudges it open with his foot, testing whether it will fall out of the frame but nothing happens. And then Iruka moves into his field of vision.

Kakashi has never seen Iruka with his hair down. He has seen him in a suit covering most of his skin, he has seen him in a revealing dress and had personally taken that dress off him, he has seen him almost naked that time when some of the lower associates had to go play nice at an associate’s birthday and they had a _pool_. But Kakashi has never seen him like this before, with his hair _just_ down and tousled from sleep. He’s wearing a white shirt and a pair of grey briefs and if it weren’t for the look on Iruka’s face, Kakashi would have considered closing the door behind him and thrown Iruka in the sheets just to take the little he is wearing off. With his teeth.

Alas, Iruka is obviously trying to get his breathing under control and he looks like he’s done this a thousand times and as if it might be working. They stare at each other. Iruka looks him up and down, and although Kakashi was careful, Iruka pinpoints the place where Kakashi’s gun sits with a sharp look. He remembers suddenly that he is still wearing his mask that’s attached to his top, and he drags it down quickly. Iruka’s expression does that thing where it’s taut with worry and but at least at the sight of Kakashi with a mask he seems to soften.

Iruka is the first one to break out of the moment. He looks around the room, and shrinks in on himself. It’s so unlike the Iruka he has met before, has talked to before, has gotten to know before that Kakashi feels like the world tilts sideways.

“I don’t understand. I didn’t even know that Tsunade was in town. And she was there at your briefing you say?” Iruka avoids his eyes as he wraps his arms around himself. “The last time I saw her was when – “ Iruka’s eyes lose focus and he freezes. “The last time I saw her was when…” he murmurs and stares at the ground. Kakashi doesn’t know what to do, doesn’t want to startle Iruka but he’s pulled forward toward Iruka like he’s his center of gravity. When he takes a step towards him, Iruka’s head snaps upward.

“Shit,” he whispers and his face goes ashen.

Kakashi holds his palms out in front of his body. “Iruka? What’s going on?”

Iruka runs over to the corner of the room where a wardrobe is installed into the wall. But instead of opening it, he picks up a discarded hoodie and, in a frenzy, pulls it over his head. “Do you have a car?” When Kakashi doesn’t reply, transfixed by Iruka’s state, Iruka snaps at him. “Kakashi!”

“Yes, I took mine,” he rushes.

Still pulling his sweatpants on, he passes Kakashi and moves through the demolished doorway. “I need you to take me somewhere.”

Kakashi notices how Iruka keeps kneading his hands to keep them from shaking, occasionally stopping to dig his nails into his palms. His feet are resting on the seat, knees drawn into his body, and he’s staring straight ahead as Kakashi steers the car onto the highway, following Iruka’s instructions. He has no idea where they are going. His usual detachment and neutrality is gone, completely discarded, and for a second there Kakashi wonders if a part of him has already seen this coming when he first met Iruka.

“I just came back from an overseas trip. I slept like a dead person,” Iruka says into the silence. The highway almost drowns out his voice in its static but to Kakashi it rings as clear as if Iruka spoke right into his ear.

It sounds like an opening for a conversation, maybe a distraction for Iruka who’s staring out of the passenger window. (Maybe amends, a part of him wishes. But things are never that simple for Kakashi.) It gives Kakashi a good view of Iruka’s loose hair that is longer than he expected it to be.

“What were you doing there?”

Iruka turns towards the front and Kakashi sees a small smile forming on his face. “I was visiting my brother.”

“You have a brother?” It comes out genuinely surprised and Iruka huffs, clearly amused.

“Yes, I do. He just got engaged. I told him to wait till after college but there’s no getting through that thick skull of his.”

Kakashi needs a second to process this. He must be gaping though because Iruka laughs and Kakashi swears, he swears he just wants to bottle it up. Still, a brother in college? It sounds so normal, so unlike what Iruka and Kakashi’s lives that he cannot help but find himself floored.

“Speechless is a good look on you,” Iruka remarks with a lopsided grin and Kakashi purposefully focuses on the street before him so he doesn’t say anything stupid. Iruka continues. “He’s adopted. I was his legal guardian until he turned twenty-one but we were always closer to brothers anyway.”

“So he’s not in this business?”

“God, no. There’s a reason why he doesn’t live here. He knows, though. What I do. There was no way around it.”

They fall into silence again. Kakashi tries to wrap his head around this, around having family that is still alive. The concept of ‘family’ in the mafia is warped, he knows, and that blood is usually not thicker than water. But he cannot decide whether it would have made his life easier if his father or mother were still alive. Most of the time family translated into liability to him.

“Someone tried to kill him a few years ago to get at me. He didn’t want to move away but I pretty much forced him. A part of him still resents me for it, I think.”

Iruka breathes against the passenger window and drags his fingers through the condensation. First it looks like he’s writing something but then he drags the paw of his hoodie over the glass and starts over in nonsensical patterns.

Kakashi likes to be right, but not in this case. Doesn’t like that he was right in calling family a liability if it’s Iruka who is involved. “I might not be much of a help but I resented my father too when I was younger. Now it’s easier to see that he was just trying his best.”

Iruka’s hand stills against the window, one lone fingertip resting against the cold surface. “Your father died when you were young, right?”

Kakashi nods, though he doesn’t remember ever mentioning it. It might be in his file, though, and if Iruka was sent to hire him…

“I was told that his death shook up the city quite bad. He had a reputation.”

“A lot of people didn’t like him.”

Iruka slides his legs off the seat and stretches them. “That’s not what I meant. From what I heard your father cared enough to play against the rules.” Kakashi takes a turn and they enter a tunnel. The lights plunge Iruka’s profile in an otherworldly glow. He meets Kakashi’s eyes when he says, “It’s what I’d like to do, too.”

~*~*~

After half an hour they reach their destination and Kakashi winces at how hard Iruka slams the door shut. There are several cars in the driveway already, with license plates that are curiously missing numbers, but Kakashi is used to stranger sights. He’s not sure what he should expect so he keeps a hand near his gun as he follows Iruka into the building. It looks older and reminds him of Danzou’s summer residence but the fact that it’s not as pristine and that there’s noise as soon as they pass over the threshold reassures Kakashi that he’s not stepping into the depths of his personal hell again.

“Tsunade!” Iruka bellows and Kakashi’s steps falter at that volume.

Immediately, figures appear in the vast hallway and among them Tsunade, the woman who watched Kakashi sign himself into the Sarutobi family.

“What are you doing here?” Tsunade’s voice turns to gravel with the heat behind it as she steps toward Iruka. “What the hell did you bring him here for?” She points this at Kakashi and he bites his tongue because he has no rational explanation.

“He brought me here because I asked him to,” Iruka shoots back. “After you locked me in my room and took my phone like I’m some kind of toy. What the fuck is going on? What are you keeping from me?”

Tsunade’s cheeks are aflame with anger but at the last question she recoils. Iruka sucks in a breath. There’s a full second of silence in which Kakashi braces himself for the impact but he is still unprepared when it hits.

“Are you _insane?_ What, you thought you’d lock me away to keep me _safe_? What reality are you living in? Since when has this been going on?” He looks at the other people standing in the hallway and all of them seem at loss for words. Iruka’s eyes zero in on the phone that Tsunade is holding in her hand and he rips it out of her grip.

“You’re behaving like a brat,” Tsunade finally chews out. Still, she does not keep him from tapping at the display.

Iruka laughs bitterly. “I’m behaving like the only sane person in this house right now. Where’s Anko? Did she know about this?”

“Like the only sane… _Iruka_ ,” Tsunade repeats, her tone incredulous and her expression looks seconds away from whacking Iruka over the head.

Kakashi watches Iruka wrestle with Tsunade’s phone and pull up the caller history before stopping dead in his tracks.

He lifts his head and looks Tsunade dead in the eye. “Everyone OUT!” he yells and the people in the room scramble. Kakashi starts to move too but Iruka sends him a pointed look and he freezes right on the spot.

When it is only Tsunade and the two of them standing across each other, the silence stretches. Tsunade keeps her chin high and eyes fierce and he thinks this must be a woman who has brought down plenty of men before.

“I’m not doing this to manipulate you. But we received threats on your life and, Iruka, it wasn’t safe. If we had involved you, you would have stepped right in the line of fire. But your father hired me to make sure that you are safe, and I won’t let you and your stubbornness sacrifice yourself. Not in the position you are in now. Do you understand?”

At the mention of his father, Iruka takes half a step back. Kakashi can sense how Iruka is retreating, about to shut himself away. Put up walls and leave them for no one to crack. And Kakashi is torn here: not used to this interplay of emotions and work, not used to reconsider what his higher-ups throw at him. Back in Root, there wouldn’t even have been a point where it came to this, to protesting what was right and wrong to do. So, even if he wanted to say something, Kakashi doesn’t know _what_. Because even if it hurts Iruka to hear, he agrees with Tsunade in some sense.

When Iruka speaks, he’s not looking at Tsunade anymore. “Is the threat gone?”

“Yes, he is,” Tsunade replies and Iruka shields his eyes with a hand, drags it over his face, looking far into the right. “We were just wrapping up when you decided to storm in here and yell at a good deal of your associates responsible for it.”

When Kakashi gets a glimpse of Iruka’s face, he looks unbearably sad. “Am I needed, then?” Iruka asks, already half-turning.

“Tomorrow. There will be time tomorrow.” Tsunade’s expression softens, finally, but Iruka gets no chance to see it. His back is already towards her and without another word he leaves.

~*~*~

Kakashi follows him out.

“Take me somewhere else, please. Not home… Not…” Iruka asks without looking at him before trailing off. He sounds so tired.

Back in the car, Iruka doesn’t say a word. During the drive, Kakashi goes back once more to the last time they saw each other, when Iruka basically called him a reckless idiot, but he still cannot understand why that would provoke Iruka’s anger.

He drives them further out, first aimlessly but then with a place in mind. Iruka perks up in his seat, his first real reaction since they got in the car, and rolls down his window to let the sea breeze in. Soon, they come to a halt. Soon, Iruka rushes out of the car and towards the water.

“I haven’t been here since I was a kid.” Iruka’s feet dangle over the pier and even though the water is still a good distance away, he stretches for it. Waves crash against the standing legs of the pier and the ocean covers them in a fine layer of sea water.

“My dad took me a lot when I was a kid. I stopped coming for years but when I took up my old job I would sometimes come here before going in for the mission report. I felt like this was the only place where they couldn’t watch me.” Kakashi leans back on his hands and lifts his head. The night sky is slowly shrinking against shades of lighter blue, the first signs of a new day approaching.

“I’m sorry that you had to see any of that,” Iruka says after a while and Kakashi thinks he can hear the words catch in Iruka’s throat. He looks at him out of the corner of his eyes, takes in his form. He’s huddled in the same black hoodie from what now seems hours and hours ago, with the hood pulled down. Somewhere between the mansion and the compound, Iruka had put half of his hair in a ponytail, the rest hanging loose around his shoulders. The wind doesn’t play with it as much as it pulls – the ocean has always been rougher here. Kakashi revels in Iruka’s profile, how it’s mostly hidden in the dark much like Iruka is trying to do now but no matter where they are, Kakashi can always make out that pair of brown eyes as if Iruka is deliberately leaving one door open for him.

Kakashi hums. “There’s no need to apologize, Iruka.”

Iruka laughs a little. His shoulders shake with it. He wipes at his eyes with the back of his hand, and stares right at the horizon. It takes some time before one of them speaks but Kakashi doesn’t have a problem with sharing silences.

“My father died last year,” Iruka says and it seems as if he is talking to the waves more so than to Kakashi. But then he shifts just so and his feet point at Kakashi. “And I do miss his presence but we had a complicated relationship. I was adopted, like my brother, and he took me off the streets, like a feral cat. I was so _angry_ ,” he grits out, and pauses to take a deep breath, “at most things. It didn’t matter to me if anyone had good intentions because I wouldn’t have recognized a helping hand even when it was right before me.”

Kakashi tries to picture Iruka from when he was younger, tries to imagine him with more of the temper he has already witnessed. He guesses that where Iruka has been angry, Kakashi was numb to the world.

“I know it’s not exactly unusual in this business but a few years back someone who I considered a friend tried to kill me for reasons that I didn’t understand back then. I found out that he had been lying all this time to gain my trust, though. My father’s associates made sure that he would never dare step a foot into this city.”

Kakashi lifts his head and looks right at Iruka.

“Well, and he didn’t. Not alone, at least. He joined another mob and last year they got what they wanted. From what I heard my father did put up a good fight, but it wasn’t enough of one.” He meets Kakashi’s stare and his pain is palpable. His arms move to wrap around his torso. There’s hesitation written into how his gaze flitters away and back to Kakashi but one more wave crashes into the pier’s pillars, and his expression crumbles. “All I wanted to do was forget, Kakashi. And just when I finally get a grip on myself, when I think that maybe I can do this, maybe I can manage and do actual good, there’s you.”

Kakashi’s eyes widen. Before he can say anything in return, Iruka continues.

“I wanted to talk to you last week. About this. But then you came back all bloody and unflinching, and you didn’t understand why I was getting so angry at you. I just wanted you to give me anything, anything that told me you understood and then I got even angrier because I thought, how dense can someone be? How self-centered can you be not to understand that someone cares for you? I just needed one little sign to see that I wasn’t pouring myself into this for nothing. I cannot stand by and watch you do that shit to yourself, Kakashi. I really can’t.”

Iruka wipes at his face again, his body shuddering as a fresh wave of tears wrecks through him. His chest squeezes at sight of Iruka’s eyes full of new unshed tears.

“The first time I saw you I thought to myself, sure, I can laugh at his cheesy pick-up lines and flirt with him and have some fun. I don’t care about flattery, you know, and I didn’t think we would do much more than flirt, maybe hook up once, nothing more. But you turned out different than I thought you would. I don’t think I ever had someone to find comfort within the way that I did with you. And I didn’t want to trust like this again, Kakashi, I was scared shitless. But when I realized what I was doing it was already too late and I fell for you.” A soundless sob moves through Iruka.

Kakashi is pretty sure something inside of him breaks. To be at the bottom of this, to cause Iruka this much grief… He swallows heavily and moves slowly towards Iruka, grips the hands he has held before but never like this, never this tight. Never this desperate. He doesn’t think he has processed at all what Iruka just said besides that this might be something Kakashi can have, or could have had, hadn’t he been so thickheaded, so uncaring. “Iruka, I didn’t know,” Kakashi rushes. “I,” he says around the lump in his throat, his heart beating so fast, “I didn’t know. I’m sorry – “

Iruka lets him hold his hands but he doesn’t squeeze them back. There are tears running down his cheeks but despite them, he still seems so composed. “I know you’re sorry, but I don’t know if that changes anything. If you can’t even understand how much it hurts me to see you hurt yourself,” Iruka’s breath hitches in his throat and he lets out a shuddering breath, “I don’t think that I should stay near you.”

Now it’s Kakashi’s eyes that start to prickle. He hasn’t been certain about many things in his life, but he is certain about this. “Please stay.”

Iruka doesn’t say anything as he looks down at their hands. Kakashi knows he’s thinking about pulling back, about putting distance between them. And if he does that, if he leaves now, that will be it.

“Iruka, I never said anything because I thought this – I thought you were out of my reach. I was more than willing to settle for whatever you could give me and never ask for more. I just don’t – I’m still trying to understand how I could ever have this after leaving Root, and I never wanted to hurt you. All this time, I was already so in love with you, you have no idea.”

He holds tight onto Iruka’s hands as he says this. Iruka lifts his head at his last sentence and he’s so beautiful, Kakashi thinks, with his eyes red from crying and lips parted, all the words he was probably preparing to say wiped like Kakashi would like to wipe his tears.

Iruka is the first to reach out and he kisses Kakashi like he’s afraid that through one false movement Kakashi would take back the piece he offered of himself. His hands come up to Kakashi’s face, and he cups his cheeks, before his hands come down to Kakashi’s sweater, gripping the material. Kakashi is helpless to Iruka’s touch and when Iruka parts from him to catch his breath, Kakashi chases after his mouth, his taste, his arms coming around Iruka’s body.

And he holds on. He holds on.

~*~*~

The sun starts to come up by the time they make it to Kakashi’s apartment. It washes his bedroom into a golden light, and he is so head over heels that he feels hopeless with it, hopeless with how much he adores Iruka.

He undresses him slowly and with care, leaving kisses where he uncovers more skin. Words get stuck in his throat when he meets Iruka’s intense stare piercing through him. Kakashi’s fingers ghost over Iruka’s back, feel the scar there, and Kakashi bites into the delicate skin that joins Iruka’s shoulder to his neck. Iruka inhales sharply and tenses but the shudder that moves through his body is enough for Kakashi to do it again, in the same spot but softer, before he laps at the mark with his tongue.

With what they shared, with old bolted doors unlocked, he cannot help but feel as if a new layer has been added to every touch, every place where skin meets skin. Iruka’s hands become fists in Kakashi’s hair and he takes that as an allowance to litter Iruka’s neck and chest with kisses turned bites when he cannot help himself. He hears Iruka grow impatient under him, however, looking for purchase so he can grind against Kakashi, but Kakashi won’t let him.

Until Iruka has had enough and flips them over in one swift motion, until he straddles Kakashi’s waist and looks down at him with an unreadable expression. His eyes are still moist, and Kakashi can smell the sea breeze on him. He leans down until their bodies are flush, and props himself up on his elbows. When he speaks, his voice is quiet. “I want you to fuck me, Kakashi.”

Kakashi has lifted his head to catch Iruka’s mouth for a kiss, but he lets it drop back on the pillow and groans. They had never gone that far but whenever Kakashi imagined it, he couldn’t decide what he liked better, having Iruka ride slow until he was ready to burst at the seams, or have Iruka press him against a wall and let him have his way with Kakashi. But to have Iruka ask – no, not ask, to have him demand – his brain might give out before they even get to it.

“Are you sure?”

Iruka nods and rocks his hips forward, and Kakashi can feel his erection against his own, hot against his skin even though there’s fabric separating them. His hands come around to Iruka’s ass, until he grabs a handful of it and squeezes, all while Iruka grinds them together, seeking out that friction. “You said you wanted to take care of me, right? That I’m so, so good for you,” Iruka rasps in between heavy breaths while Kakashi can’t hold back his moans. “Show me. I want to have you. All of you.”

Iruka’s words rush right through him, leave him hot and cold. He drags the back of his hand over his eyes and gestures towards the drawer next to his bed. “There’s lube and condoms in there.”

Iruka leans over and opens the drawer, comes back with what he was looking for. Kakashi sits up, tugs at the waistband of Iruka’s briefs. “Off,” he urges, and Iruka lifts his hips so Kakashi can drag them down.

When they’re both free of any clothes, Iruka leans down and presses his open mouth to Kakashi’s inner thigh, trailing kisses upwards. He nuzzles into Kakashi’s hip flexor, right beside his dick, and sucks a mark into his skin. “Fuck. Fuck, Iruka,” is all Kakashi gets out before Iruka licks a line from his taint right to the tip of his cock. He digs his heels into the duvet to keep himself from bucking up right into Iruka’s mouth, it feels that good.

Letting hot breath ghost over the head, Iruka looks up at Kakashi through his lashes. “I’m not going to last long if you keep looking at me like that,” he says in all honesty. Iruka’s face is already flushed so he cannot actually see how Iruka receives those words. “Good. Lie back and let me make you come,” he says and as if Kakashi wasn’t already on edge, he adds, “okay?”

Okay? Kakashi is not okay. He is about to be wrecked by no one else but Iruka.

Iruka dips his head back down, taking Kakashi’s full length down his throat, till Kakashi can _feel_ the back of Iruka’s throat with his dick. He stares at the ceiling and starts cursing because he doesn’t know how else to keep himself together. Iruka’s right hand comes up to massage his taint, dipping further down to just brush against Kakashi’s hole with the pad of his thumb, and it doesn’t take much longer than that for Kakashi to tense all over, to warn Iruka with a bitten-off curse that he’s going to come. But instead of letting off, Iruka keeps up his rhythm and gives him the best damn blowjob of his life. Kakashi’s orgasm hits with a force and he spills hot down Iruka’s throat. Iruka keeps swallowing, rubbing soothing circles into Kakashi’s thigh with his free hand as Kakashi’s muscles contract.

Iruka comes up to press kisses into his neck, on his cheek, as he tries to get his breathing under control.

“Fuck, Iruka,” Kakashi rasps and he knows he sounds absolutely ruined. He pries open his eyes and Iruka has propped up his chin on Kakashi’s chest, just watching him with a grin. “What should I do with you?”

Iruka tilts his head to one side. His lips are swollen and pink, and his scar almost lost the flush on his skin. “Keep me close, and bring me breakfast in bed? Coffee, no sugar, with a splash of milk?”

And Kakashi laughs even as his head is still a little fuzzy. “Yes, I think I can do that.” He tugs Iruka further up, until it’s comfortable enough to kiss him, and he wastes no time in swiping his tongue over Iruka’s bottom lip. He doesn’t think he will ever get over Iruka sighing into their kisses, as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders, and he revels in being responsible for that sound.

The kiss gets deeper until it turns downright filthy, until they separate and Iruka’s mouth is wet. Kakashi reaches down between them and runs his fingers over Iruka’s cock, leaking against his stomach. He gives a little moan at the touch, and Kakashi makes sure to at least tease Iruka enough to get him to rock into his hand, before he moves his hands to his ass, spreading his cheeks.

“Lie down on your back for me,” he whispers into Iruka’s ear and Iruka complies.

A few minutes later he has one finger inside Iruka, slowly crooking it to find that sweet spot that made Iruka dig his heels into Kakashi’s shoulders, urging him forward, just a moment ago. “More,” Iruka gasps. “Kakashi, more.”

“I think I could make you come just like that,” Kakashi muses and watches another finger slick with lube disappear into Iruka.

“Why do I like it so much – “ Iruka bites down on his lip to keep a whimper in. “ – when you sound so smug?”

Kakashi can’t keep his grin at bay. “I’ll take it as proof that I’m doing a good job.”

“Very,” Iruka presses, and clamps a hand shut over his mouth when Kakashi keeps grazing his prostate. Carefully, he scissors Iruka open, keeping watch for any discomfort on Iruka’s face or, even better, if he can break Iruka’s resolve to keep his noises in. He doesn’t ask why Iruka doesn’t want him to hear because he tried to get an answer before, but sometimes Iruka just gets unusually shy during sex. The irony of it is never lost on Kakashi, especially when Iruka just sucked him off like a deity.

He takes his time in preparing Iruka until another well-aimed push makes Iruka buck up and stutter out a curse. He jolts upward, out of breath, and catches Kakashi’s hand that isn’t currently occupied. “Stop. I don’t want to come yet,” he says. Somewhere between the door and the bed his hair tie got lost and now his hair falls down his shoulders in waves, sticking to his temples, disheveled from where Kakashi has run his fingers through it. “Just get your dick inside of me.”

“What a romantic.” Kakashi leans forward and kisses Iruka, a welcome distraction while he pulls his fingers out and wipes them on the sheets. Iruka rolls his eyes and ducks away when Kakashi goes in for another kiss, moves his hands up into Kakashi’s silver strands instead and tugs him closer, until he is speaking right into Kakashi’s ear, his voice pleading. “Fuck me. Kakashi, _please_.”

Kakashi has never been one to deny Iruka a request.

When he slides into Iruka, it’s in one long, slow push. He has to close his eyes against the heat because they fit together like they were made for each other. Iruka is back to muffling into his hands as Kakashi breaches him but Kakashi wants to hear him. Wants him like Iruka has told him before. _I want to have you. All of you._

He tugs at Iruka’s hands and pries it from his face, smiles down at Iruka to reassure him when his expression goes uncertain. He snatches Iruka’s other wrist too, and pulls them over his head. He brushes his lips against Iruka’s cheek, moves to his ear and takes the soft flesh of his earlobe between his teeth. “I want to hear you, Iruka. Let me hear you.”

He feels Iruka tighten around him and when he starts rocking back and forth, slowly at first to let Iruka acclimatize to the pressure. And finally, Iruka moans, quiet at the back of his throat, louder when Kakashi sets to a faster pace. “Kakashi,” he whispers and on Iruka’s tongue his name sounds like a prayer. A groan escapes Kakashi’s throat and Iruka captures his mouth in another bruising kiss.

Iruka hooks his legs over Kakashi’s shoulders and with that, the angle changes. Iruka keeps gasping his name as if he is looking for salvation, and Kakashi can barely hold himself back anymore. He buries his face in Iruka’s neck as he starts to fuck Iruka like his life depends on it. He lets go of Iruka’s wrist so Iruka’s nails can come up his back, leave scratches where his nails dig into his skin. “You’re – “ Iruka gasps, and Kakashi murmurs, “So good, so good” against his lips. “You’re so good, Iruka. Absolutely perfect.”

Iruka clenches around him. He comes with a moan turned whine, untouched, and Kakashi can’t do anything but stare in astonishment, before he starts rocking again, watching Iruka fall apart. He closes his hand around Iruka’s cock to jerk him through it, until Iruka squirms under his touch, too sensitive.

Iruka’s arms come around his neck as he draws Kakashi closer, uncaring about the come on his stomach. He looks completely blissed out, barely on the brink of consciousness, but still, in a voice barely above a whisper he says, “Come on. Come for me, Kakashi.”

If the half-lidded look he meets Kakashi’s eyes with wasn’t enough, this, Kakashi thinks, this, at last, would have him reeling. He thrusts into Iruka three, four more times while Iruka plays with the hairs at his nape and then he moans into Iruka’s mouth as he comes too.

They lie there, just breathing. Holding on. Iruka makes an unhappy noise when Kakashi slides out but his eyes are closed, and Kakashi is pretty sure he will fall asleep any second. He retreats to the bathroom and comes back to wipe Iruka down with a damp towel and Iruka’s smiles, small and full of warmth.

Kakashi draws the blinds, the sun now fully up above the horizon, and crawls back into bed where Iruka instantly turns to him and intertwines their legs. He buries his head against Kakashi’s chest, slinging an arm around his torso, and if he could, he’d stay in this moment forever.

Kakashi’s chin is tucked over Iruka’s head and scoots back to press a kiss to Iruka’s forehead.

“You know that we didn’t fix things,” Iruka says into the quiet.

Kakashi knows. “No. But I’d like to try. If you’ll let me.”

Iruka tenses and for a moment Kakashi imagines that he’ll wake up alone, that this is the last time they’ll see each other, but as quick as his thoughts come, as quick they go. Because Iruka tenses just to soften with a shuddery exhale, buries deeper into Kakashi, fastens his hold.

Iruka nods. “Let’s try.”

~*~*~

“There’s something I haven’t told you yet,” Iruka tells him but he speaks right into the cup of coffee he’s nursing, and his half-awake sentence only makes sense to Kakashi because he’s paying close attention to Iruka anyway. By now he’s learned that, if there’s time, Iruka likes to take his first coffee back to bed, and only then is ready to start his day with a second cup in his hands.

Contrary to popular belief, Kakashi does not like coffee. He only drinks black, black espresso or filter coffee whenever he needs to stay up for a job, the stronger the better. But there’s no way around it: coffee is absolutely nasty and he’d rather stick to tea, thank you very much.

He thinks about all of this, his brain tired but body sated after Iruka tied him to his bed last night and teased him for long enough that Kakashi begged to be fucked.

So Kakashi hums before the words register and then he looks up from where he’s scrolling through his Instagram feed, so much unseen dog content floating around, waiting for him to press like and share. “Don’t worry, baby, I already know about your snoring. Not a dealbreaker.”

“I – what!” Iruka’s suddenly much more awake and nudges Kakashi with his foot. They’re sitting on Kakashi’s balcony and as autumn approaches, Iruka stole one of Kakashi’s sweaters. “I don’t snore, you ass.”

Kakashi laughs while Iruka glares at him but that only makes him laugh harder with how half-hearted it is. Iruka clicks his tongue and goes back to his coffee. “Can’t believe I hired you, Hatake.”

Kakashi shrugs and leans his head on Iruka’s shoulder. “What can I say? I’m charming.”

Iruka rolls his eyes and swallows the rest of his coffee while getting to his feet. “You think you’re so funny. Keep telling that yourself, maybe it will come true.” Half a grin tugs at his mouth, and he leans down to kiss Kakashi’s cheek. “I need to leave but I’ll see you later. Be good.”

After Iruka leaves, Kakashi takes his time cleaning his apartment. It’s still very bare but looks more lived-in than the one he rented during his time at Root. He’s scheduled for a meeting with Tsunade later, but he doesn’t plan to take up a new assignment for at least a days after bruising his ribs. He’s learning.

He only realizes that Iruka meant to tell him something when he enters the compound. But then, if it were important, he would have told him straight away, right? At least that’s what Kakashi comes up with to calm his mind.

He succeeds in keeping his worry staunched right until a familiar sight moves into his view. Kakashi always notices the snake first but after weeks and weeks as an officiated member, and maybe even as a good influence on Iruka, Anko has warmed up to him and doesn’t give him the cold shoulder anymore whenever their ways cross.

She clasps his shoulder. “Boss wants to talk to you. Sounded important,” she says with a grin so wicked that he already knows something’s up.

He raises one eyebrow. “I have a meeting with Tsunade in a few.”

“No, you didn’t listen,” Anko laughs. “Not Tsunade. The _boss_.”

Oh, shit.

During all his time here, Kakashi has never met the boss. It’s not too uncommon, some members of the family deemed far too important, and some members far too irrelevant to ever meet. But he cannot help the pounding in his chest that tells him, for the love of god, don’t fuck this up.

Anko leaves him with instructions how to access the rooms that belong to the higher associates, and with steady steps he makes his way through the building.

He considers pulling down his mask, still not used to so many people knowing his face, but then he leaves it on. Might as well put up an extra barrier. He knocks on the door and the door opens.

“So that’s him, huh?”

Kakashi stares into eyes so blue that he’s momentarily stunned.

“Leave it!” he hears a second voice call out from the room.

The boy, or well, man, Kakashi thinks because he looks about college age, sizes him up with a wary expression. His hair is a shock of blonde, and there are markings, or fine scars, running over his cheeks. Most importantly though, Iruka stands a few feet behind him.

“What,” Kakashi says.

The silence stretches and Kakashi grows tense until he doesn’t anymore – because the boy just jabs a finger at him with a frown so deep that it’s almost funny. “We’ll talk later.”

Iruka sighs when it’s just them, and leans against the massive desk in the middle of the room.

Confused Kakashi stares after his… what, did he just make a nemesis? He isn’t sure. But then he looks back at Iruka and his confusion doubles.

“Iruka?”

“Come in and close the door please.” Iruka rounds the desk and sits down in the chair behind it, crossing his legs, one over the other. At some point before Kakashi got here, Iruka changed into a white dress shirt, the resemblance to his outfit at the casino uncanny, but this time there’s a tie slung over his shoulder.

Kakashi does as he’s told and looks around whether there’s another person about to spring on him. But there isn’t. He’s alone, with Iruka.

“Uh.”

Iruka gestures to the armchair opposite of him and slowly, Kakashi takes a seat.

It is then that Iruka smiles at him, one of those private, almost shy ones. Immediately, Kakashi relaxes, warmth seeping into his body.

“I didn’t get the chance to welcome you officially. I’m sorry for that,” Iruka apologizes and opens a half-empty bottle of whiskey. He procures two shot glasses and pours the alcohol.

Kakashi blinks at him.

“Here,” Iruka hands him one glass and his eyes shine with amusement. “Drink.”

“No way,” Kakashi says under his breath. His arm moves on its own as he knocks back the glass and holds it out for a refill. His eyes stay transfixed on Iruka the whole time.

Iruka pours him another round. “No way? You’re saying I don’t pull off the whole mob boss look?”

Kakashi starts to laugh. “You,” he starts but nothing follows.

“Me,” Iruka says and grins.

“You’re Sarutobi’s son.”

Iruka nods.

Kakashi’s gaping with his glass half-way to his lips. “You’re unbelievable.”

Iruka watches him drink up the second shot before he takes Kakashi’s hand, pulls him up. Leans forward so he can press a chaste kiss to his lips, speaking against them. “Welcome, Kakashi. I’m glad you’re here.”

It’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard.

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was written for the wonderful Annie who blesses us with her beautiful kkir art <3 
> 
> thank you to [HazelBeka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelBeka/pseuds/HazelBeka) for making me laugh and indulging in all the lines i randomly threw at her because i was really excited to share this.
> 
> shit's been wild y'all. writing this was a lot of fun and challenged me in good ways. thanks for reading and take care <3
> 
>  **EDIT** : the wonderful, wonderful Ciça has drawn [fanart of Iruka in the dress.](https://rocketpunchhh.tumblr.com/post/640121975809933312/gift-for-the-amazing-callaina-inspired-by-their) IN THE DRESS EVERYONE. i would have had a panic attack weren't it for the sheer beauty of this. i owe her my fucking life. you can find more of Ciça's art @rocketpunchhh on twitter and tumblr!


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